Warriors Three
by Vstriker
Summary: Baxter knew what this was. He was never one to give in to his emotions, he was better then that. So why is it that when he and his two Alliance members make it to the end of the Hunger Games he can't seem to muster up the courage to kill them? One shot.


Twelve years old, we're just twelve years old. We aren't supposed to be in this situation, we're supposed to be dead. This is the Hunger Games, only the strong survive. When we made that stupid pack that the three of us would live or die together it was our own way of saying that we'd at least comfort each other as we were picked off. But yet here we stood. The final three, or what would soon be the final three, looking down at our dying savior.

"Are you alright?"

Bell sat over him crying as Trunks balled his fist up angrily. We spent the last three days trying to hunt this kid down and kill him. But turned out he had us the whole time. He was following us, aware of our every move. He could have easily picked us off at any time. But he didn't, instead he sacrificed himself to stop our two would be killers, the last of the careers. "Baxter, we have to help him! Please!"

She looked up towards me. Apparently, since I am from district 3 I am supposed to know everything, including medical assistance. "What do I look like, a doctor? I can't save him. And it wouldn't do us much good anyway." I looked back down at the brutish towering teen from district 11. Even in his current state, I think he could strangle all three of us. Then he would get the medical assistance he so badly needed right now.

"Your district sent you Anesthesia right? You can at least numb his pain." Trunks advised.

"I doubt he can even feel anything right now anyway. He's gone." I said coldly.

"He just risked his life to save us, you have to do something!" Bell yelled.

"And then what let him die with dignity? This is the Hunger Games. There is no Dignity, and there certainly isn't compassion or mercy. He was stupid to do this."

"He's right. I decided this a long time ago. It's okay?" We all looked down at the boy and saw that he was smiling. "I knew I wouldn't have it in me to kill kids. I kept telling myself it was for my family, but I wouldn't even be able to look them in the eyes."

I balled my fist up. Weakness, something I despised. I was never a compassionate person, and I knew that to take advantage of the slim chance I had of coming home I'd need to ride myself or what little emotion I had left. I faltered when I grew close to my alliance. Bell seemed two kind to kill, and Trunks to noble. They wouldn't abandon me and saved me on numerous occasions. Then this person showed up and … no one can be emotionless.

The man slipped out of consciousness and the canon went off. "Congratulation on making it to the final three! This year will mark the first time one so young as ever one the Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!"

We all looked around at the sound of the voice and then back at each other. The deciding moment at hand. Which of us three was going to walk out. "I can't do it. Kill me now." We turned to Bell who was sobbing in her hands. "I can't kill either of you. Just make it quick."

I looked at her in disbelief. She couldn't do this. Not now when I was so close. What little compassion I had would have been overridden by my desire to live, but if she wasn't going to fight back then I… "I'm not doing it either." I turned to Trunks. Who dropped his knife to the ground.

This couldn't be happening. I glared at them fury in my eyes. I had to harden my heart. This was a free ticket home! This was my master plan growing into fruition! "Fine, I'm getting out alive one way or another." I grabbed me knife and walked towards Bell. If I could kill her then I could stomach killing Trunks.

I stood in front of her and she shut her eyes. Trunks glared at me with a disappointed look. As if he expected me to join in this little rebellion. I was a survivor! I had to do this! That's what I kept on screaming in my head. I was better than these people, at the age of twelve I held an IQ over two hundred, I planned every step to victory and managed to deal with every hitch in the plan, I killed four of the careers, even if two were indirectly.

I was a genius, what purpose did I have to take pity on these two fools. The promise we made was nothing but a child's false hope. Dreams that only a child could believe could come to reality. "You don't want to do this."

I wanted to tell him he was a liar but the knife had already fallen from my hands and tears were flowing from my eyes. I was better than they were? I was a narcissist, heartless, dethatched, hated by my district, distanced from my family. What did I have to go back to? "I'm and idiot. How could I have become this weak?"

"This isn't a weakness. This is standing by a promise. If you want to kill us you're going to have to do it yourself!" Trunks yelled into the air.

"Don't egg them on." I muttered pulling out my throwing knives. Trunks reached back and grabbed his sword as Bell lifted her bow and arrow. We stood back to back in a circle.

"Get ready. They're going to throw everything in the kitchen sink at us." Trunks warned.

"Stop talking like we're not going to die." I said looking around carefully. I kept thinking what type of monster they would send out to slaughter us. If I could help it I'd prefer Bell make it out of this, and Trunks seemed like he wanted the same thing.

I heard growling from the trees nearby and knew that the Mutts were on their way. False hope, that's all it was. We were going to die here. "Wait a second!" Bell turned around and jerked me by my backpack. She dug in and quickly pulled out a mine. "We have this from the plan with the careers remember?"

She held it in the middle of the circle and placed her hand over it. "If we're going to die I don't want to die getting eaten alive and seeing which one of us gets left behind. Besides, it'll be a lot quicker right?" She said smiling.

"I'm in." Trunks said placing his hands over hers.

"I suppose it'd be easier then getting my face eaten off." I placed my hands over theirs.

"Ready?" We nodded. "1, 2,-"

"Now children, why don't you end this properly and fight to the death? Besides, we know you don't have it in you. Stop being sore losers and give the people a show."

I looked up and smiled. "We just spent two weeks killing twenty one other people. You can go to hell." I said giving him the bird.

"Besides, I bet the people will get a real show out of this." Trunks said as we turned back to the mine. A small part of me was hoping they'd try and stop us again, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Some other kids tried it years ago and it lead to a rebellion that screwed everyone over.

"1, 2,-"

"Stop!" We looked up. Everything was silent for a moment. "Your winners of the 356th Hunger Games."

We stood in disbelief for a few seconds and then all looked towards each other. Bell ran into Trunks arm and cried in joy as I fell to my knees and grabbed my head. I usually maintained my composure at all times, but this wasn't a usual moment. "YES! YES! YES!"

"We're not going to die!" Bell yelled grabbing my arm and pulling me up and into a hug. I hesitantly hugged back.

We looked up and saw the ship coming down to pick us up. I couldn't believe this was happening. "I told you the three of us would make it didn't I?" Trunks bragged.

"We're going home." Bell added.

"I still don't believe this." I said running my hands through my head. Perhaps compassion wasn't a weakness after all. "They're going to put the pressure on us from now on. We may just be three stupid kids, but they might see it as rebellion."

"Who cares! We're alive and well! The three of us will deal with it later, for now let's just be happy we're alive." Trunks said happily. To think moments ago he and Bell were mourning over her district partners death.

"Come back with me." I said on a whim. They looked at me confused. "You said your brother was dead and you're an orphan. We're victors now, we have loads of cash. Come back and live with me and my family."

"Baxter!" Bell ran forward and pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you." Trunks said patting my shoulder.

"We're family now."


End file.
